Personnel includes: Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., Foxy Brown, Memphis Bleek, Big Jaz, Sauce Money (rap vocals); Mary J. Blige, Mecca (vocals).

Producers include: Knowbody, Ski, Clark Kent, DJ Premier, DJ Irv .

Engineers: Joe Quinde, Eddie S.

Recorded at D&D Studios, New York, New York.

Personnel: Mary J. Blige (vocals).

Audio Mixers: Clark Kent; DJ Premier; Peter Panic; DJ Irv; Eddie S.; Kenny Ortíz; Joe Quinde; Ski; Big Jaz; Carlos Bess.

Recording information: D&D Studios Inc; Sound On Sound Studios.

Photographer: Jonathan Mannion.

Unknown Contributor Role: Mary J. Blige.

In the past few years, the hip-hop community has embraced a lot of rappers who falsify their identity with hard-rock gangster images, and created superstars out of average MCs. But where others proclaim, Brooklyn, New York native Jay-Z lyrically illustrates that he knows first hand what he is talking about. Jay-Z mixes original concepts with an imperative rhyming style, showing his versatility on cuts like "22 Two's" and "Friend Or Foe," while still managing to school youngsters on tracks like "Can I Live" and "Regrets," teaching them to learn from his mistakes.

Not only is REASONABLE DOUBT heads above other rap albums lyrically, it's a musical gem as well, with production that ranges from the R&B flavor of DJ Clark Kent to the rugged beats of the flawless DJ Premier. As rap's premier underground MCs begin to emerge above ground, Jay-Z's debut album sounds like the next classic.